McKinney's marketing second to none
By: Lynnette Phillips
July 7, 2005
A group in McKinney is making sure that McKinney is not just a household name for her residents, but for people everywhere.
McKinney's communications and marketing department -- made up of CoCo Good, Laura Smetak, Scott Murray and Steve Hill -- recently won the 2005 Texas Association of Information Officers award for Best Special Event for its "2004 State of the City" event. The "Tamis" are the highest recognition award for government communications departments across the state.
McKinney submitted five entries and competed against approximately 130 others from around the state.
The "2004 State of the City Event," which comprised an opening video, a speech by City Manager Larry Robinson, the 2004 annual report and an event promotion, in conjunction with resulting media coverage, earned McKinney the award.
McKinney won three other awards -- one in the annual report category, one for best marketing program for its "The Fastest Growing City in America" campaign and one in the cable programming category for McK15's "McKinney Magician" children's program. McKinney also submitted "Fire House Flame Broiling," a cooking and kitchen fire safety tips show, as an entry in the last category.
"We thought they were both very strong entries," said Smetak, city graphic designer. "And I think they found the 'McKinney Magician' to be very unique programming,"
McKinney was the most decorated team in the Metroplex, outpacing the nearest city 4-2 in number of awards received, and was the only city in the state to place in three genres, print, marketing and cable, city officials said.
"We thought it was a very strong indication that we're on the right path. Our department has really changed over the last few years under the direction of CoCo," Smetak said.
While the recognition is great, McKinney also has the opportunity to see how it compares to what other cities are doing. Any place the city is able to plant its brand is viewed as a success.
"We are trying to keep it all in brand going forward, what we are trying to do, from a communications standpoint, is doing things that are unique and doing things that you wouldn't normally see a city do," said Hill, the city media relations representative. "And any publicity is good publicity and good publicity is really good publicity."
The city's marketing department continues to enter competitions. First on the list, however, is to surpass last year's State of the City address.
"We are just looking forward to the same elevated success," Hill said.
Contact staff writer Lynnette Phillips at 972-727-3352 ext. 104 or at lynnette.phillips@scntx.com. |
